


I'm Done With You

by CrawlingFlesh



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, M/M, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 03:03:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5811163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrawlingFlesh/pseuds/CrawlingFlesh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Boba Fett manages to escape the sarlacc pitt only to discover a harsh truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Done With You

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry.

Boba Fett just thought it was a minor inconvenience when he reflected back on the whole thing. It was truly just an inconvenience, but he had terms upon how he took work. Lord Vader broke those terms which Sith knew the conditions of, and these conditions were heavily wrapped around the terms of their relationship as well.

 

It was pathetic really, and a bit sad too.

 

For years the bounty hunter followed Darth Vader around the galaxy, to many secret bases, to many far off planets… yet for so long he kept it under the rouse of business. Lying to himself and others that it was purely for Galactic Credits; why else would he keep clientele if they were anything less than cash cows? Darth Vader was absolutely no exception in his eyes at first. He would keep up with him as long as he kept paying out immediately after the job had been performed unless the job was particularly dangerous or tedious; in which case credits were taken upfront and additional time on the original quote was charged extra. Despite his employment with the Galactic Empire through Lord Vader, he still took many other jobs. Even so, no matter what he returned to the other man.

 

It began slowly at first, Vader carefully opening himself up to the bounty hunter; completely aware of his apathy but the Lord in such desperate need to talk to someone, anyone… Only pieces were revealed each time they discussed work. A sentence or two here and there, allowing them to get closer and closer to one another, eventually able to exchange more casual greetings. That was as far as both went while in plain sight of the officers and troopers, and how it went for months.

 

There was something in their tone when they spoke to each other. It was subtle, careful and afraid… Neither wanting the other to know truly how much pain was behind the masks. Not wanting either to know exactly how much loneliness and anger existed in their scars and minds. Both occasionally haunted by the steps they had taken to finally cross paths. It was something Boba had never liked to think about. After all, he had no qualms, he had no fear, no guilt. Being the best, his line of work required those emotions to be tossed aside. They didn’t exist to him, not for years since he was a boy... 

 

“Those things… They haunt you, don’t they?” The man wheezed.

 

The smaller man couldn’t help but quickly become angry behind his visor; he didn’t appreciate Lord Darth Vader being nosey and poking around places he didn’t belong. He attempted to keep his cool, not wanting to play into some cheap trick. All he could muster was a quick and bitter “No.”

 

The Sith looked at Boba Fett for a moment, not breaking eye contact with him before turning away and folding his hands behind his back. “Fett, there is no one with us here,” he took a small pause before he continued, “You hold much suffering, as I do. There is no need for deceit.”

 

* * *

 

_ “You hold much suffering, as I do. There is no need for deceit.” _

 

Darth Vader truly hadn’t probed as much as he had originally thought, the two were able to converse which was already something the bounty hunter very rarely participated in. He hated to admit it, but it was so damn nice… When he spoke, it was as quick to the point as it could be but regardless, the Sith listened. Boba listened well enough to Vader, finding himself asking questions as they spoke; becoming interested in his words. Interested... or invested?

 

It was becoming a regular thing, the two of them speaking. Meeting under the guise of promised work just to have a private meeting on the Death Star. Darth Vader’s meditation chamber was quite private and no one bothered the two of them unless it was of absolute importance which seemed to rarely occur. It was a strange thing, meeting someone for… What was the word? The pure  _ comfort _ of their company. The quiet excitement of being requested to meet once again even if not for work. As much as Boba enjoyed their time, his credits were running low which made him begin to grow tired of such things. He was becoming unfocused on what was of most importance to him: a large bounty and an excellent reputation.

 

He wished he had never been so cold to the Sith Lord; explaining harshly his selfish need and informing him to make no further contact with the bounty hunter unless he did indeed have work and credits to provide him. Vader stayed silent during his tirade, then gestured towards the exit once the smaller man was done. Boba convinced himself he didn’t have time to lace it with flowery words, that their meetings were nothing anyway. They were nothing and meant nothing, taking up his precious time. Hours upon days all  _ wasted _ because of the Dark Lord. 

 

A handful of communications from the Galactic Empire were sent to the  _ Slave I _ over the course of several months but none from Darth Vader himself. All regarding promised work and all had paid out once completed. It had been so long since Boba Fett had last seen him, and it was uncharacteristic for him to think about anyone other than himself yet he found the Sith Lord squeezing his way into his thoughts. He thought maybe taking up more work could clear his thoughts; engaging in the enjoyment of his hunt could remind him of what really mattered. No such thing worked. It seemed endless, the ways in which Vader entered the forefront of his thoughts even when fresh credits were in his hands. Despite everything, he didn’t feel fulfilled like he had before. As he sat in silence, it was then that the Sith Lord had sent him a communication request. Begrudgingly, Boba answered.

 

The request was simple, as it had always been. “I require your expertise, bounty hunter. I’ll send you the coordinates for our meeting.”

 

* * *

 

The meeting had not gone as the others had before it. The room was silent with the exception of Darth Vader’s breathing through the suit. It wasn’t the comfortable silence that the two would sometimes fall into before, no. It was something more tense. The air around them felt thick but with what, Boba couldn’t guess. It felt almost… defeated? As hard as he tried there were too many words that came to mind but he found it difficult to describe; no singular word could quite catch the vibrations. It was not at all any feeling he had experienced around Vader before.

 

The two stood quietly in his meditation chamber before Vader took a seat, gesturing for the bounty hunter to enter so the chamber could properly close and turned to face away from him. Once the two were alone inside, there was a wariness in Darth Vader’s voice as he began to speak; something that Boba Fett didn’t think he could forget.  _ Where did you go? _ There was no reason for this that the bounty hunter could think of at the time, but the question tugged at his chest. He was quite cruel the last he spoke to Vader. He looked away from him to give himself some time to come up with a proper answer, something that sounded less harsh than his impulse allowed. “It’s alright…” Darth Vader’s voice gave the smaller man a start, “I understand. You have priorities.”

 

“I do.” Again, that impulse. There was no need to sound nasty, but Boba was not at all used to company let alone the feeling that arose in his chest when he spoke to the Sith Lord. “But… I thought I could catch up. It’s been a while.” He softened his voice as much as he knew how, a weird feeling for his throat to make. It was unfamiliar and awkward.

 

Darth Vader turned to look at him and held his gaze. He could almost imagine a smile forming on whatever it was behind that helmet. Boba felt a little stupid, like an infant and couldn’t help but mimic the smile he was merely imagining. He hadn’t smiled since he was a boy.

 

The men spoke of many things that were typical of their conversations: their past, their glories, the many treasures they had encountered (power and fortune…). It wasn’t unusual for their stories to interlock as they had crossed paths more than they had known. Conversation mysteriously made its way to more intimate reveals, both of very different kinds. Boba Fett could only tell tales of giving into his lust and devious desires while Vader could only speak, if not vaguely and quite painfully, of the one romantic courtship he experienced. He described his marriage so beautifully and sincerely but couldn’t bring himself to finish. Boba didn’t push him further. The darkness that surrounded the man answered any questions he could have. Even if Darth Vader didn’t outright say so, he was positive whatever it was had ended in death.

 

The comfortable silence returned once again although despair hung in the air. There was a moment of weakness between them; it was obvious that the men had indeed been lonely without each other’s company. It was then that the unexpected happened as far as Boba Fett was concerned: Darth Vader reached and delicately stroked the back of the bounty hunter’s glove, then held it gingerly. Whether his heart was moved by the gentle touch or some force-using mind trick came over him, Boba Fett held the black gloved hand. Boba would never tell the complete honest truth, even to himself.

 

* * *

 

There was so much the two had been through and yet they spent too little time together. Boba Fett was often on jobs while Darth Vader was almost constantly busy with the war effort, making things quite difficult but they almost always seemed to be able to make time for each other. They had moved past casual talks and hand holding long ago, now always waiting for a chance to slip away from the world that busied them. In Vader’s meditation chamber the two could remove their helmets safely and without prying eyes, able to share their full affections with each other until duty called them to be apart. It had been like that for years. Darth Vader only allowing Boba Fett to see his true face and know his name, yet he never cowered away. He loved him unconditionally despite all his evils as Vader did to him, yet both were unable to get the words out. Neither heard the small phrase that held so much power, but they both knew.

 

There were minor arguments and spats as the war carried on, strain gnawed at them both. Bounties were fruitful for Boba Fett meaning he had to be away much longer, with the occasional confrontation from Vader about his constant greed; the bounty hunter always able to fire back about the obsession with finding his son and further secrets that were hidden from him. Both equally felt betrayed and hurt but would always have the chance to forgive, able to return to each other safe…

 

 

* * *

 

The absolute last thing Boba Fett could remember before his fall was his fight with Darth Vader. The Sith Lord was unable to provide him with sufficient payment at the time of the completed job, something that to most would only cause a minor problem considering the Sith Lord was known to kill anyone who mouthed off. Boba was too deep in greed that it blinded his love for the man, the credits placing more importance than his patience and understanding for Darth Vader. The Empire was almost bankrupt and they were losing the war effort; more troopers died than they could suit up and the stormtroopers that survived battle were almost always put out of commission. The Death Star was  _ bleeding _ credits. This didn’t matter to the bounty hunter one bit. “You know my policy.” His voice was harsh and cold, as if they were once again just two strangers at a business meeting.

 

“I cannot pay you right now. I will provide your bounty and could have provided it before, if you had not taken quite so long.” Vader’s words grinded like salt in a wound. Was he trying to make him angry or did he simply want him to hurt him? It was just payment, nothing that required getting personal. Nevertheless, Boba Fett didn’t fail because he never did. With a slew of vulgar words and vicious reminders, he simply added, “I’m done with you.”

 

With that, he left in the  _ Slave I _ to Tatooine on his latest job. “Real work,” Boba mumbled under his breath as he landed his ship and made his way to Jabba’s palace. Jabba wanted him to accompany him on a fairly easy task, simply being hired muscle which wasn’t uncommon of him to be while under the Hutt’s employment. If only he had known that would have been his last.

 

The rest was a blank, just years of pain and suffering from the sarlacc’s tentacles and stomach acids blurred his memory. In the process his armor was destroyed and he had lost a limb, managing to be fitted quite quickly with a prosthetic although it cost him most of his credits. Boba wanted to argue with the man until he showed him the bills and received a reply he thought he would never hear, that the credits are hardly ever accepted anymore since the Empire fractured.  _ Fractured? _

 

It couldn’t be. As soon as he was able he ran out into the deserts of Tatooine, searching the sky for as long as he could stand it. Boba ran to his ship and attempted to send a message to Darth Vader or anyone from the Empire who could answer. There was only silence on the holonet. It was true. He held his hand in his head as he tried to comprehend exactly what had happened; the Death Star was no more, the Empire was left in pieces, Darth Vader wasn’t responding. He tried to deny himself the misery and pain, convincing himself that maybe, just maybe Darth Vader had escaped. There was a plan for him and he got away and things were okay.

 

Even so, something felt wrong about the idea of it. The love of his life was no more and he couldn’t even manage to shed a tear for him. He sat back against the captain’s chair in the  _ Slave I _ , thinking about the horrible things he had last said to him, the malicious shit he thought about him the entire ride to that dust planet, the last words he said to him. “I couldn’t even be there in his final moments. I couldn’t even have brought myself to tell him…” Boba’s voice was weak and it trailed off. He couldn’t feel more stupid if he tried. More angry and guilty and pathetic… It was his fault. No one should die thinking the one they love hated them and abandoned them.


End file.
